Wes Brown will miss Saturday's trip to Arsenal and Darren Fletcher is a doubt, but Gary Neville is available after sitting out the Champions League draw at Celtic.
Brown is still struggling with an ankle injury, although he is due to resume training in the middle of next week, while Fletcher has a minor knee problem and faces a race to be fit for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off.
Neville is available again after missing the midweek trip to Celtic, while Paul Scholes has started doing light running and, according to Sir Alex Ferguson, hopes to be ready to return in mid-December, possibly for the trip to Tottenham on 13 December.
Otherwise, the United boss has pencilled him in for the Reds' first game in the Club World Cup in Japan five days later. “It's good to see Paul overcome the injury itself," said the Reds boss. "He’s now back into the physical part of his rehabilitation, which is good. Paul should be available to go to Japan, or he should be involved for the Spurs game the week before we go."
The news is less clearcut for fellow midfielder Owen Hargreaves, who is currently in America meeting with renowned knee surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman in a bid to find a cure for the tendonitis problem which has dogged his United career. The 27-year-old has already visited specialists in London and Sweden, but is yet to find a solution.
“Owen is now in Colorado to see Dr Steadman, who is a very well-regarded doctor with these particular types of injuries," said Sir Alex.
"What we are tyring to do now is to get to the route of it. He’s been frustrated and patient, but we’ve never really got to the bottom of it. We really need to speed that up now, which is why we’re sending him to
